Candles illuminated the bunkhouse, casting shadows across the mud walls. Four dragons sat around the makeshift table that acted as a possible excuse for decoration. Lichen and Crocodile had just made it back to the Delta and were quickly ushered to this structure, knowing the occasion for such an abrupt meeting. Tadpole gazed towards them both, her bubbly persona now buried beneath her darkened eyes. Blitzkrieg stood to the side, keeping an eye out from the entrance. Making sure no one else heard this currently was paramount. Even with it being the dead of night, Tadpole would not take any chances.
"Don't look so puzzled, Lichen. The second I heard you were spotted back in the Delta, I knew you found something. It isn't likely that Silt would let you just come back home so soon." Tadpole's voice was quiet, making it evident that she knew. Currently, she was trying to fight back tears as she looked towards Lichen.
Lichen's head slowly bowed and his wings sagged. His voice failed him. He hadn't wanted her to find out so soon, at least not until he'd found a way to ease the pain of this on her. All that came out was a brief whisper of a name, a measly word. With that, she was sent into a deluge of sorrow. The three sat there together, gentle streams of tears running down their scales. They had lost a member of their squad; but for that member to be their BigWings, no less the Delta's, made the pain all the more unbearable. She could only imagine the loneliness her brother felt dying within the halls of the SkyWings. The jovial mocking of Queen Scarlet flooded her ears. Her brother's life had been thrown away, his existence buried between the jagged peaks of The Claws of the Clouds mountains.
"Tadpole, your brother did leave us with one last word. At least he didn't die silenced.." Crocodile tried to speak on behalf of Lichen, who was periodically sobbing next to him. "We didn't open the letter at first due to circumstances, but thinking back, I'm glad we waited. It should be you who reads his last words first. It, it would be wrong for anyone else to do so." The darker MudWing fumbled with his words towards the end, almost choking on them as they were spoken. Tadpole slowly nodded her head, letting him know he said all that needed to be said.
Her talons slowly wrapped around the fragile envelope. She examined the scratched out 'Crocodile' as the weight of her brother's death only grew heavier upon her wings. He really was gone then. Part of her had hoped that the two were jumping to conclusions merely due to his prolonged absence, but presented with this evidence, she had no other option than to accept the truth. Gazing towards the letter, she felt almost every part of her scream out in anguish. Her talons shook softly. Would she even be able to open this letter? Could she stand to read what was inside, knowing that these were the last words of her brother? She whimpered softly, thinking of all the stupid sayings he repeated to her day to day. How many dumb jokes would he squeeze into this frail paper? Would he have any jokes this time? Hopefully, and hopefully not. Within the sea of emotions, Tadpole willed herself to softly open the envelope.
It was just like any other letter they received from Stork.
"Greetings from the SkyWing courts. I appreciate your last letter, Crocodile. You really gave me the encouragement I needed to continue on in those stuffy halls. I tell you what, going this long without a mud bath has really brought me down. Thankfully, each letter you send me is a suitable replacement for that. I figured that this letter should start on a happier note, so that I could have you all smile at least one more time."
Tadpole looked up from the letter, noticing now that Crocodile had silently withered into the floor, streams of tears now pushing their way through the scaly patterns of his face. His body shook lightly, leaving Tadpole to assume that he was holding back everything within him so as to not wake the other MudWings in dens nearby.
"As you might have guessed by the marked through name, I will not be coming back home. I'm sorry that I broke my promise to see you all again, but I promise you that it is worth it. Tadpole, Crocodile, Lichen, Blitzkrieg; I finally did it. War has been all we've known now for years. Scarlet crossed the line long ago, but recently she has gone even further involving you all in her 'little war' with the SandWings over the mesas. I'm sure you've heard, Burn is backing her with this move since Blister is the current owner of those desert mountains. Dear friends, yesterday I had both Queens sign a treaty to remove the Delta forces from this war. We are no longer obligated to fight for those forsaken mountains."
The room grew quieter with this news, their despair mingling slightly with new hope.
"Getting this passed required many connections within the courts, many promises, and many more compromises. I have also learned today that this will cost me my life. I know, I should run and come back to you all before I am captured and executed. I should honor my promises. Sadly, your BigWings is going to have to go back on his word just this once. I won't give Scarlet the satisfaction of hunting me. Instead, I will stand up for what I believe in and show that snake what it is like to face a real MudWing. I know you all will do likewise. I do not intend on fighting her, unlike many of you. My part has been played. Struggling against her would undermine my entire reason for not coming home. She will not get what she wants out of me. I want my death to taste bitter to that fiend so that she will remember it when it comes her time to meet a similar fate. I have no doubt that Queen Moorhen and Queen Scarlet are trying to cover this treaty up, as it interferes with both of the Queens' operations. I know it is much to process, but our Queen needs to keep Scarlet's favor unless she wants SandWings and SkyWings alike overthrowing her. My simple hope is that this letter finds you, and the fight for a freedom you now have might be possible. It is a tall order, but the Delta is our kingdom's last defense against the SkyWings. You are charged with being the saviors of our home. Do not let anything happen to that treaty, or else your alibi for defending yourselves will be negated. I believe in you, all of you. And I can't wait to hear all of your stories when we meet again."
The letter was messy with its contents, and often seemed to ramble. Typical Stork. He really was a terrible writer. When conveying his message to the Delta, Tadpole knew she'd need to do a little rewriting for him. The vagueness of a smile crossed her face. Simply knowing that he'd written these words to them made it a little easier to accept his passing. Looking towards Lichen and Crocodile, it was clear that they too had benefited from hearing his words.
A direction for them to head in was clear. Stork had laid out the foundations for their fight against Scarlet, but that foundation would only hold true if they held the papers of proof within their talons. The Delta needed that treaty. Without it, no one would ever believe them.
"We know where that treaty might be, Tadpole. Crocodile and I overheard dragons within the capital talking about documents being vaulted or burned. I have a feeling Stork's treaty would be the primary target of these actions." Lichen's voice sounded stable for the time being, giving assurance to Tadpole that reading this letter out loud had been for the best.
"Only problem there is that we don't know who those dragons are. We never saw them, just heard them. Voice leads aren't typically easy to follow." Crocodile grunted, peeved at this. Their only chance to fight for their freedom was in the talons of some cowardly dragon hiding behind the palace walls. This problem was coupled with the fact that Lichen and Crocodile were both likely wanted for abandoning their posts. "To add to that, I don't imagine the palace being huge fans of ours anymore."
Tadpole took these words into consideration, tapping the wooden table in front of her. Everywhere they turned, the opposition seemed to hold some power over them. She knew that this theme would become recurrent, and took a brief moment to accept the fact. With expectations of success healthily humbled, her will to overcome these obstacles increased ten-fold. From what she'd been told, Crocodile and Lichen would have the least probability of pulling this mission off. They were both wanted palace affiliates, not the kind of dragons fit for palace intrusion. She stopped this train of thought, reconsidering this option. Maybe, because they were wanted, these two would be best suited for the job. They had nothing to lose going back, aside from being arrested. Then again, anyone trying to steal the treaty would likely be arrested. It was better to use two wanted dragons rather than create a new wanted dragon to steal something. Simply put, the fewer Delta dragons were wanted by the palace, the better.
"They may not be your biggest fans, but you two are all we've got. Crocodile, you and Lichen heard the voices of those individuals. No one else could find someone just based off of a description you gave them of the target's voice. Furthermore, since you are both criminals now, stealing a treaty will only make you more wanted. I'd rather make criminals do crime than force innocent claws to get dirty." Tadpole paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "We can't let the Delta know. Not yet anyways. Without that treaty secured, whatever speech we give them might be riddled with doubts. I know our kin are loyal to Stork, and to each other. While I am sure they will listen to us without a treaty, they are tired of fighting for things that won't help them. We need to give these dragons solid proof that what we are fighting for is real."
The room fell into silence again as the two dragons in front of Tadpole contemplated her points. She gripped the edges of the table with baited breath. Her faith in these two was strong; it was a tall order to ask others to risk their lives for this, however. Little did she know, but this was only the beginning of such requests. Tadpole was seeking to protect her tribe's freedoms from a Queen who couldn't afford to lose such a powerful force. She was trying to stand up to someone who always got what they wanted, no matter the cost.
Crocodile and Lichen looked as though they understood the perils of going through with this mission. It relieved Tadpole to an extent. She would not be sending her friends into enemy territory without understanding the possible ramifications. Thankfully, there would be no need for such discussion.
Both of the MudWings nodded towards each other. Their heads then swiveled to face Tadpole, a confident smirk gracing the corners of the dragons' mouths. "We will do it. If he was willing to sacrifice everything for his family," Crocodile pointed towards the letter still resting against the table, "then we are too. That treaty belongs to us. We will risk our lives to get it back if it means that the Delta will be free from those desert mountains."
Tadpole felt the butterflies that had been resting in her stomach erupt forth. She was exhilarated, excited for a chance to finally prove to the world who the MudWings really were. She was nervous, knowing that she and the three others present would be the faces of this new war. She was terrified of the many ways this could end. Tadpole could never express every emotion she felt in that moment, but she could choose which one she would let run free. Raising her head to the sky-hole in the roof of the den, the young dragonet chose to follow the feeling of freedom. With talons clenched in the dirt and close eyes, she vowed never to follow another feeling than this one. Whatever would bring her kin this, that was her path. It was decided.
"May the Delta be graced with your presence again.." Tadpole spoke softly, smiling towards Crocodile and Lichen as the two bowed lowly before heading towards the exit.
"Nice line there Tadpole. Make sure to keep that one around next time you send us off." Crocodile chuckled, leaping out of the hut and into the brilliant night sky.
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"We will get the treaty back, I promise." Lichen then vanished into the night as well, flying after the shrinking silhouette of the other dragon.
With both of her MudWing companions gone, Tadpole sighed to herself. She gently picked up the letter from Stork. This would need some rewriting for sure. When they presented this to the Delta, it demanded to be the letter that ignited them for war. Her speech had to set ablaze the dormant and bleak spirits of her brothers and sisters. The Delta needed to catch fire. She laughed under her breath as she compared her brother's sloppy writing to that of a professional declaration.
"Something amusing, Tadpole?" A burgundy SkyWing slipped back into the den. He wore a sincere smile as his eyes locked with Tadpole's. "I didn't hear many jokes from your brother in that letter, so naturally I had to see what brought about that smile."
"Well, pretty sure it wasn't you this time Blitzkrieg. Seeing as you were off standing in the doorway for the whole meeting." Tadpole turned her body from the letter, now fully facing him.
The SkyWing in front of her put on a semi-shocked expression, as if deeply wounded by this realization. Tadpole rolled her eyes lightly, happy to be in the company of this SkyWing. Having a small break from the seriousness of this situation was nice, but she realized she didn't need to distract herself from reality too long. Nevertheless, she walked away from the table, coming to sit next to Blitzkrieg for a moment. The SkyWing wrapped a wing around her, closing his eyes as the two sat there briefly. Crickets made melodies outside the walls of the mud house, giving the two more than pure silence to surround them. Blitzkrieg would now serve an even larger role in her life than she previously realized. Having her favorite dragon's unwavering support would no doubt motivate her in the hard parts of this war. For now, she would enjoy his presence as simply her mate, not some glorified mentor.
"Perhaps someday the Delta might accept us, yeah?" Blitzkrieg chuckled under his breath, but a tinge of hurt momentarily crossed his voice. It made Tadpole frown.
MudWing culture did not consist of 'mates'. There was a mating night every so often, but familial attachments didn't exist apart from siblings. Families were not a thing, much less couples. This fact alone made things difficult enough for the two, but Blitzkrieg was a SkyWing as well. If word ever got out about this, Tadpole knew that her hopes of leading the MudWings would be torn in half. In her eyes, it was not fair. She wished that these dragons would accept her love for Blitzkrieg, that they might welcome such a different idea of 'family'. For now, she could only silently love her dragon.
"I know that someday they will. Hopefully someday soon.."
Silence fell upon the den once more before she left the embrace of his wing. Blitzkrieg stretched out, his lower jaw practically unhinging as he yawned. The two coiled tails briefly before the SkyWing made his way back to his den. Alone once more, Tadpole bent over the table and began examining the letter more thoroughly.
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Her eyes slowly flickered open as tiny beams of sun pierced through the holes in the den's loosely packed walls. Tadpole picked her head up from the table, looking down at the drool-soaked parchment beneath her. Apparently she needed to rewrite her speech. Tossing the soggy paper aside, she slowly made her way towards the entrance of the hut and poked her head out. Tadpole was blinded momentarily by the brilliance of the sun as her day officially began. She saw that other MudWings were already going about their business. Jobs were scarce aside from fighting, so many had time to waste when a battle wasn't raging.
The capital housed almost two-thirds of the professional labor markets in the MudWing kingdom, meaning most jobs found in the Delta were simple manual labor tasks. It was either that, or trying to get into the capital; and with recent overcrowding rumors spreading Tadpole doubted that the latter would be a viable option for quite some time. Nevertheless, it seemed that the Delta made things work despite the glaring insufficiencies and heavily crippled economic status. She hoped that these issues would find their resolutions as a result of the declaration that she would be making to the public. For now, she hoped that would be the outcome, and worked to fix what she could until that time came.
She went about her day, checking in on various huts to make sure that siblings were getting along. Tadpole also busied herself fetching items and ingredients around the market on the behalf of others. The morning quickly rolled into the afternoon, meaning it was finally time for a mud bath. She explored briefly, trying to find a mud hole that didn't house any other dragons. Realizing that this objective was impossible, Tadpole settled for a spot that one of her friends was currently occupying.
"Hey, uh, do you mind if I join you Moccasin?"
A simple flick of the dragon's ear let Tadpole know she was accepted. Slowly, her golden-brown scales sank beneath the thick sludge. The stresses of last night evaporated once more as the mud allowed Tadpole a brief slice of paradise. Lichen and Crocodile were heading towards the palace to get the treaty back; Blitzkrieg was off doing.., well, what was that SkyWing doing today? She only remembered him leaving last night and didn't recall seeing him at any point this morning. It was odd behavior for him.
Tadpole's train of thought was disrupted by the sloshing of mud to her left, and a low voice following up. "Suppose we haven't heard from Lichen yet then?"
She was taken aback by Moccasin's sudden question. It was odd for her reclusive friend to ever start a conversation.
"I haven't heard anything from him since he left five days ago. I assume he has some catching up to do with his palace friends." Tadpole chuckled lightly, keeping a positive attitude about her. No one knew that Lichen came back last night, or that he went back again to the palace, so in a way Tadpole convinced herself it wasn't lying.
"That would make sense. Maybe he won't be back for a while.." Tadpole couldn't decide if she heard a hint of joy or sorrow in Moccasin's comment.
Personally she hoped for Lichen's return soon. That treaty was crucial to their freedom and without it the MudWings would have no grounds for ignoring Scarlet's mesa war. It was aggravating her that she could not go on the mission herself. Tadpole had a difficult time trusting others to get things done, especially when it was something important. It was not that Crocodile and Lichen were unreliable dragons, she had full faith in them; she was a control freak. The dragonet took a moment to breathe, letting her anxieties wash away once more. If she did have full faith in them, then there was no reason to worry. They would get the treaty back, Tadpole was sure of it. With that, she dozed off.
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As night deepened, something poked the dragonet's snout, causing her to grumble in her sleep. As the poking persisted, Tadpole was taken from her fantasy world and dropped back into reality. She turned around but quickly realized she couldn't see. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust to the lack of sunlight as she realized she'd slept the afternoon away. Blitzkrieg stood on the banks of the mud hole, smiling down towards her.
"I wondered where you were. Everyone else has gone to some sort of town meeting, and I didn't see you among the crowd heading that way, so I assumed you were still asleep. And you were! I believe a 'Thank you Blitzkrieg' is in order?" The SkyWing smirked, gloating over this 'victory' of his.
Tadpole was slightly peeved that Moccasin hadn't woken her up for this meeting, but was grateful as it gave Blitz a chance to enjoy some time with her. She took hold of the talon he offered and she was aided out of the mud. The two leaned into one another briefly. It had been a slow day. Nothing had happened; then again, that was not an uncommon occurrence. Tadpole assumed the reason it felt weird was because she knew things were now wrong. Stork; Lichen and Crocodile, all of these issues made everyday life almost painful to continue with. She wanted things to change now, not wait to change them later.
Her frustrations continued piling on top of her. She decided that sitting would only allow the weight to feel heavier, so with a flick of her tail she signaled Blitzkrieg to come with her to the meeting. It was a decent way off, so she could spend a little time with him before the two had to return to professionalism.
"How were things today? I didn't see you at all this morning."
"Not bad, not bad. As always a few children made fun of my wingspan, saying I could shade the entire village if I really tried. I know they are just jealous of my superior flying." Blitz chuckled.
Tadpole arched a brow, a skeptical look falling across her face. "You make it sound as if they aren't simply commenting on the performances you give them everyday. Blitz, you can't make fun of your fans! They are your livelihood, and I know that you love their teasing since it just means that they were watching you. Showoff.."
"Hey now, don't kid yourself Tadpole. I mean, you are a fan of mine too after all. So really if my fanbase is composed of children," He'd interject a sarcastic cough, "then you my dear are as childish as they come."
Tadpole shot him a sharp look before cracking a smile. What a lizard brain. She smacked his pointed snout with the tip of her wing, taking on the persona of a child.
"Oh! Mr. Blitzkrieg I'm so sowwy! Wow! Look at those huge wings! You could fly anywhe' you wann'ed! Can you teach me to fwy like you!" She trotted around Blitzkrieg in a bouncy manner, laughing to herself as she reenacted what she'd seen younger dragonets do time and time again.
"Hm? Oh yes of course young one! I am the most humble and amazing dragon known to the Delta! I shall teach you all I know about flying. One day, if you train hard enough, you shall be just like me! Well, maybe a little worse than me but better than everyone else!" Blitzkrieg laughed lightly with Tadpole, sticking out his wing suddenly as she made her way around him. She crashed into his wing, giving a squawking noise in response.
"Blitz! That could've hurt your impressionable audience! You just crushed a child's dream right there with that move." Tadpole straightened herself up, walking ahead of Blitzkrieg with her head held high in an obstinate fashion.
Blitzkrieg followed after Tadpole with a grunt, grabbing her tail lightly to stop her. The SkyWing turned the smaller MudWing around, noticing that the two were almost to the meeting area. He curled his tail around her's with a frown, sad that this jovialness had to come to an end. There were so many times he wanted to be this goofy with her in public. Tadpole looked up into Blitz's eyes, giving a weak smile towards him.
Many times he'd vented his frustrations to her. The MudWings saw him as a respectable, level-headed dragon with a soft spot for children. It was funny how little her kind really knew this SkyWing; yet it was sad how little he got to show himself to others. They ran risks every time they met in these sorts of fashions, making most of their interactions together painfully rigid if not scripted. She felt his hurt in this way. Tadpole desperately wished things were different for them both, but knew this wish was even farther out than the treaty.
"Come on Blitz, we have a meeting to attend." Tadpole strengthened her smile towards him, attempting to lift his spirits. It seemed to help slightly, but she recognized a gloomy Blitzkrieg when she saw one. Despite wanting to comfort him more than attending the meeting, they both knew that their attendance was necessary to keep things looking normal for the public.
"Yes yes, wouldn't want to keep my little fans waiting." His attempt at a joke helped ever so slightly, giving them both that extra boost of encouragement to walk through the reeds and into the meeting square.